Chapter 187

Laxus

“Stay behind me, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near you,” I order, keeping Fiona from moving around my body. I don’t need the rogue wolf’s attention on her. I’m not sure if he can see her yet, or if he saw her as he came out of the trees, but I know he can’t smell her.

For now, his full focus is on me.

“I’m going to guess this isn’t one of your friends,” the Luna says, her voice shaking nearly as much as the hand curled in the back of my shirt does. The wolf across from us growls, skirting to the side and trying to find a way to get behind me.

Not today, asshole. He’s stupid if he thinks I’d let him get into my blind spot.

As he moves, so do I, turning my body to keep it between Fiona and the threat as long as possible. I should’ve called back-up the moment I found her. Alpha Ethan will kill me if he wakes up and finds out his mate is hurt.

I even purposefully took us in the opposite direction of the south borders in hope of avoiding any unwanted guests, which means there are several scouts roaming our territory. There’s no way to know how many, though. It could be this one or ten more.

Without checking every inch of our land, we’re out here blind.

“You are trespassing on Silverclaw Pack’s territory. Leave now while you still have a chance and while I’m asking nicely. I won’t ask a second time,” I announce clearly. The wolf’s only response is to snarl louder. I feel Fiona startle from behind me, and I grit my teeth.

This isn’t a regular wolf. He has the mixture of wolf and human scent that every Lycan has. By the icy smell of him, he’s from one of the kingdom’s northern packs, possibly from one of our rivals.

If that’s the case, we need to make sure he doesn’t get back to his pack with any important information that could put the Silverclaw Pack in danger.

While shifting my feet to keep my front to the wolf and my back to my Luna, I open my mind link to the closest Gammas and to Beta Ryan.

“Back-up needed at the falls near the northern border. One intruder, and one female.”

“Female?” Multiple voices respond.

“What female?” Beta Ryan asks.

“The future Luna is with me. I found her wandering in the woods looking for—”

The link closes down abruptly before it reconnects with only Beta Ryan’s presence.

“Laxus, listen to me carefully.” The demanding tone has my wolf sitting up at full attention as well. “Fiona is carrying the pack’s future Alpha child. The Alpha doesn’t know yet, either. You cannot let her be harmed, or we’ll all lose more than our heads when Ethan wakes up.”

I glance over my shoulder at the frightened woman behind me in realization. No wonder she doesn’t have a scent. Beta Ryan must have given her a suppressant to keep anyone in the pack from scenting her and the baby.

Shit.

Things just got so much more complicated.

Then the link opens back up and Beta Ryan’s voice is booming through the line, “Michael and Robert, you’re closest to Laxus’s position. Meet up and protect the Luna at any cost.”

They confirm the order, but Fiona’s shaky voice behind me has me looking up again.

“L-Laxus.”

Movement from my right pulls my attention, and I curse again as two more wolves appear from the tree line. If my protective instincts weren’t already screaming at me, they are now.

“This isn’t good,” I hear Fiona whisper right before her hand tightens in the back of my shirt. She’s the future of our pack, the new Luna and the mother of our future Alpha. If something happens to her…

No. My duty is to protect this woman and my Alpha, and I will not fail. Years of training will not be swept away just because I’m caught off guard. I have to protect this woman, for my Alpha, for the pack, and for the odd sense of familiarity that settles over me when she’s near.

I’ve never felt an instant connection with someone, but I guess somehow, deep down, my wolf knows who she is. He knew before I did, even as I tried to figure out who she was earlier. He knew she was our Luna.

“What do we do? I-I don’t know how to fight,” Fiona stutters into my back. Even the thought of it makes my wolf on edge.

“You will not be fighting,” I growl, gently squeezing the hand that settles on my side as the wolves spread out in front of me. My eyes scan the area, finding two possible routes of escape for her.

“We’re close, Laxus,” Beta Ryan’s voice fills the pack link.

One of the wolves slinks a bit too close for comfort and I kick, slamming my foot into his head and sending him flying.

“There are three assailants now,” I warn him, spinning when the wolf on the left lunges. Fiona shrieks as the wolf slices his claws through the air where we’d just been standing.

If Fiona wasn’t here, I could take these three, but with my attention split between protecting her and fighting them, there’s a chance she could still get hurt.

“Can you swim?” It’s our only option. If she can get to the waterfall, I can get rid of these wolves.

“What?”

“Can you swim, Fiona?”

“Yes, but I—”

“Then do as I say and get in the water,” I order, backing up toward the edge of the pool. The water falls rapidly from the top of the cliff, creating a bit of a torrent, but if she can swim, she should be fine. Even if it’s just long enough for me to get rid of these guys.

I just need a little bit of time where I’m not worried about how close she is to the danger. I don’t want to be worried about hitting her while I’m fighting. Fighting to protect and fighting to suppress are two different things that I don’t normally have to mix.

“Will you be alright?”

“Don’t worry about me and go!” I order, ignoring the wide, fearful eyes that stare up at me. She hesitates, but I can’t take my full attention off the wolves stalking closer. I push her toward the water, cringing when she stumbles.

“Fiona, if you don’t go now, you’ll get hurt. Your baby could get hurt.”